Trivago Chief Financial Officer Axel Hefer will replace co-founder and CEO Rolf Schrömgens at the end of the year, the company announced.
Hefer told Cheddar in an interview Tuesday the company had been working on a succession plan since he joined the company three years ago.
Schrömgens's co-founders Peter Vinnemeier and Stephan Stubner left the company in 2018. Hefer told Cheddar Schrömgens felt it was time for him "to move into a more passive role." Schrömgens will join the advisory board and give up his board of directors seat.
Trivago's stock was down about 19 percent after the surprising announcement, made along with the Q3 earnings report.
"Our third quarter overall came in softer than expected," he said. The company expects a smaller Q4 revenue than last year.
Hefer said the stock price reaction "is a combination of both filings and, obviously, very difficult to say which part of the drop is associated to the different news."
Hefer said the company has been focused on profitability after losing a "substantial sums of money" in the first half of 2018.
Poised to raise interest rates Wednesday for a 10th time, Federal Reserve officials are facing two competing economic trends that could make their future rate decisions more difficult and treacherous.
U.S. job openings fell in March to the lowest level in nearly two years, a sign that the American labor market is cooling in the face of higher interest rates.
Cheddar News' Courtney Sturgeon reports from the Cboe floor with Russell Rhoads, Associate Clinical Professor at Kelley School of Business to break down why option traders should pay close attention to the FOMC meeting on Wednesday and monthly payrolls being released on Friday.
